For rock band Pop Evil, the name of the band isn’t just a name, but a way of life. When rock music was on the decline in the early 2000s, the group felt the need to be crusaders for the genre.

“‘Pop’ was always a bad word,” lead singer Leigh Kakaty said. “We could say the ‘F’ word before we could say the ‘P’ word.”

Pop Evil is set to perform at The Westcott Theater on Tuesday at 8 p.m., with opening performances by Don Jamieson and Savage After Midnight. Doors open at 7 p.m. and general admission is $25.

Kakaty describes Pop Evil’s music as a yin and yang — as the band members get older, their music grows and evolves.

“As you have multiple albums, you kind of listen to what your fans want from you and expect,” Kakaty said. “But at the same time, we try to challenge ourselves to be different and to try to have no song sound the same.”

The band, formed in Michigan, has played more than 100 shows each year since 2007, Kakaty said. Apart from seeing the world, Pop Evil’s favorite part about touring is the fans. The band is currently on tour promoting their fifth studio album, the self-titled “Pop Evil.”

As they finish the last leg of the winter tour, Pop Evil will move on to Europe and then, for the first time, to Australia. When asked what he’s most looking forward to on this tour, Kakaty said he prefers to just focus on one thing at a time.

“I think, in this business, you try to really focus on the things that are in front of you,” he said. “I’m not really focused on the future, as far as we just want to play.”

Pop Evil recently supported the bands Poison and Cheap Trick on the “Nothin’ But A Good Time 2018” tour. Kakaty said he was excited to play with the bands that he idolized growing up, and to learn from his “big brothers.” Not only are bands like Poison and Cheap Trick influences for Pop Evil, but so are the people they write music for.

Audience members can expect a high-energy show, Kakaty said. Entertaining people beyond just getting on stage and playing instruments is vital for Pop Evil.

“It’s important for us to give them their money’s worth,” Kakaty said. “Make sure we leave these people with fond memories … and help remind people that rock and roll is very much alive and certainly going strong.”

Touring with Pop Evil is comedian Don Jamieson, the show’s opening act. Throughout his career, Jamieson has been a co-host for VH1’s “That Metal Show” and has released three comedy albums.

Jamieson’s favorite part about being on tour with the band is enjoying the comradery of a group experience without having to deal with the drama of being in a band.

“We all get along great,” Jamieson said.

As a comedian, opening for a band requires a lot of energy. With every show, Jamieson tries to give a powerful performance and “really bring it” to the audience. His favorite part about stand-up is the adrenaline rush and the immediate reactions from the crowd.

Wesley Johnson, the box office manager and director of marketing at The Westcott Theater, said audience members can expect a lot of energy from Pop Evil. This is the second show for Pop Evil at The Westcott, and Johnson said that the last Pop Evil show went so well that they wanted to book the band again.

“They engage with the crowd,” Johnson said. “(Kakaty) will get right up on the barricade and just lean over them.”

Johnson believes that Pop Evil will bring the same energy to this show as the band did last time. When asked about their plans for the new year, Kakaty said Pop Evil’s biggest plan is to stay open-minded.

“Something can always come up and there’s always another tour and always another show,” Kakaty said. “Worry about the things we can control rather than the things we can’t.”

Published on January 27, 2019 at 9:53 pm